The Ecology Center is proud to be fiscal sponsor for the creation of a new book, “The Way of the Mountain – The Natural History of Mount Shasta”. This project started in 2015 and is now scheduled for publication in 2019. The project will resume after the authors return from Peace Corps service in Africa.

Co-authors Abby Edwards and Chad Oliver are students of the natural world, educators and creative thinkers. They recently graduated from UC Santa Cruz with degrees in Environmental Science and Ecology.

The Ecology Center will advise on the book’s direction, facilitate connections with local natural and cultural experts, and help create the final chapter “Current Challenges”. Once the book is finished, the co-authors have generously agreed to donate 50% of the profit to support our ongoing work.

The book’s vision is to “take science out of the laboratory and into the landscape”, bridging the gap between science and the general public and deepening the connection between the observer and the natural features observed. Natural history, field ecology and education are essential for successful conservation and management of ecosystems. It will be written as the participant’s journey, on the slopes of the mountain.